Promises
by gettsr
Summary: A bit of fluff involving Sophie and Maddie talking about a new volunteering opportunity. Inspired by seeing Sophie/Maddie in the "Life After Streetlife" program. One-shot.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: A bit of fluff that was inspired by the "Life After Street Life" episode which featured Sophie and Maddie helping out with the soup van. You don't have to have seen it to read this, however I suggest checking it out, at least the section with Sophie/Maddie. It's interesting seeing these girls outside of a "Coronation Street"-esque setting. Anyway here you go. As always feel free to Review or PM me if you'd like more of this.

* * *

Sophie got off the phone.

She looked across the front room to see Maddie and Simon playing some game with soldiers and shooting and whatever. It had never been her thing, but she loved seeing the two of them go at it as if life and death were on the line.

"On the left...The Left…" Simon shouted pointing at the screen laughing.

Sophie smiled as she watched them from the kitchen. It was probably the most laughter she'd heard from him in awhile. Upon reflection, she shouldn't have been surprised that her girl friend got along so well with Simon Barlow. They were both children of absent of neglectful parents. Parents who chose addictions over their own leading them to be flung from pillar to post. Simon wasn't that far from being in care himself. Thank god for Leann, Sophie sighed. She didn't always understand the woman but she at least respected her for taking Simon on. He wasn't even her own flesh and blood.

Maddie hadn't been so lucky.

Sophie knew that there were demons from her girlfriend's past that chased her. Nightmares in the night that left her shaking. Scars on her body. Broken bones that hadn't healed properly. She had learned how to soothe her after their first week of nights sleeping together. Sophie knew not to ask for fear of the emotional barriers that her girlfriend was an expert at quickly constructing. She would wait for her girlfriend to tell her in her own sweet time. Until then she had learned to gently rub her hips while nestling into her body. It seemed to do the trick.

She was startled out of her revelry by a knock on the door. Looking at her watch as she headed to the door, she ascertained who would be coming to collect their son. Of course Maddie and Simon's eyes never left the screen as they decimated zombies or summat.

Sophie opened the door to a weary Leanne Battersby-Tilsley-Whatever.

"Hiya! Here to collect" Leann said with a rare smile.

Sophie opened the door wider with a grin in return. They both stepped into the front room.

"Hey! You'se two will have to pause saving the world for now" Sophie laughed as they both groaned.

"Well don't be too happy to see me" Leann said deprecatingly as Simon got up to collect his bag.

"We'll just pick up our game another time Sy" Maddie said giving his hair a slight ruffle.

"Just promise you won't play without me?!" Simon pleaded anxiously as Leann paid Sophie.

"I promise" Maddie said grinning sincerely as she kneeled down to shake his hand.

"You better mean it" Simon demanded.

"I always keep my promises to those I care about" Maddie said genuinely to the youngest Barlow.

* * *

"So who was on the phone earlier?" Maddie asked.

They had finished up tea and were watching something on the couch. Snuggled in together, Sophie liked to play with her girlfriend's strawberry blonde hair.

"I told you that I was looking for somewhere to volunteer. Well that was the people from the soup van, they said I could help this weekend" Sophie explained.

"On your time off?! Sometimes I don't get you" Maddie said exasperatedly. "Aren't I enough of a charity project for you?" she asked folding her arms across her chest.

"Oh trust me babe, you're a handful! A cute handful" she pecked her on the cheek "but Eleanor put me onto them and said that it's a good way to help."

"Well you're still mad though" Maddie said cheekily. "I better go with you though, you might come home with another messed up bird and I ain't sharing you" she laughed.

"You're free too. We just hand out sandwiches and see how folks are getting on" Sophie explained.

"Oh I remember the soup van. Used to steal all sorts whenever it came thru. Easy pickins it was" Maddie said with pride.

"Well if you come with me you can't just nick stuff" Sophie said irritated. She still hadn't managed to get Maddie to see that petty theft was morally wrong.

"Nah, I'll just catch up with some of my old mates" she said cheerfully. Sophie noticed that she perked up at the prospect.

"There won't be any trouble will there?" Sophie asked worriedly.

She knew that Maddie had dealt with some pretty rough characters in her past life. Many of them wouldn't think twice of cutting you up for a few quid. Or even worse if you were a girl. Sophie shuddered when she remembered how cut up Maddie had been the night she got jumped. It had taken more than a week for the cut across her face to heal up. Luckily it had healed up all right without leaving an awful scar. It could have been so much worse.

Another part of Sophie worried that reconnecting with old mates might not be the best thing after all. Sure Maddie had told her that as long as Sophie was here in Weatherfield, that her life would stay there as well. She knew what the meaning of that sacrifice meant. It had nearly made her heart burst from her chest. Them being in the middle of Roy's Rolls was the only thing that stopped her from taking her girlfriend right then and there. She had made up for it that night with her tongue to be sure.

But still she worried that perhaps Weatherfield would prove to be a bore. I mean sure occasionally there were murders, fires, and punch-ups, but most of the time the biggest excitement was guessing who threw eggs at Norris's paperboy. Sophie loved the domesticity that they had been living in. It was a comfort that she had not felt since Sian. But she also knew that despite social services and her age, Maddie was not necessarily required to stay. It made Sophie insecure in a way that she tried not to show in front of her mum. She clung to Maddie at night partly because it felt good, but also to know that the girl would have a reason to stay. Sophie had to make it clear that she keep her safe, warm, and fed. But she also feared Maddie's tendency to run off at any time. What if she got a more tempting offer?

Maddie reached her left hand over and entwined it in Sophie's while moving her right to caress her cheek.

"Stop worrying" she said softly. "There's no way that Charlie Checkers can convince me to leave your fit bod behind" she said quietly. Sophie leaned her cheek into Maddie's hand, craving more contact, as she lightly sighed.

"I promise" Maddie said as she leaned in and brushed Sophie's lips languidly. They stayed that way enjoying the time that being alone afforded them.

Sophie was the first to break away. She tipped her head back and giggled like a school girl.

"Who is Charlie Checkers?" she asked in between short chortles.

"What?! His name is Charlie and we would always play checkers" Maddie said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Sophie launched into another giggle fit as her girlfriend looked at her as if she was daft. Maddie got up taking her tea cup with her.

"Y'know I think that you really have gone bonkers you dozy mare" she chuckled as she went into the kitchen to put the kettle on.

Sophie stayed on the couch laughing to herself as Antiques Roadshow started on the telly.


	2. Chapter 2

Upon their arrival on Saturday, Sophie had found herself stuck to the soup van. With Sophie being chained to the van, Maddie was left free to roam as she liked. Although she knew that Sophie was wound up about it, she also just wanted her girlfriend to trust her. This morning the demand was constant and she found herself getting her arse out of the way quickly. It was often tragic what folks will do for a simple sandwich, tea, and warm soup. On the streets there had been times when Maddie knew what that gnawing on the insides was like. She recognized the despondency in their eyes. Especially the kids.

Maddie looked about the group that had gathered around the van in the park. It wasn't the prettiest part of Manchester but a camp of sorts had been set up. Some makeshift tables, scavenged chairs of various types, and a few tents littered the cleared area. Rachel, another volunteer, had painstakingly explained all the rules before they set off that morning. Maddie just rolled her eyes. She knew the place well from her days sleeping rough. Half the things that she warned against were just daft rubbish. Still for Sophie's sake she had kept her gob shut.

She found herself doing that more and more for her girlfriend these days.

Scanning the crowd, she didn't see many that she knew. Unless you had family chaining you to a place most kids tended to either disappear or move on. Maddie always stayed in Manchester for her brother, otherwise she might have moved on to Bolton or Liverpool. You had to go where the opportunities were at. Or even just a good time. She'd forgotten how transitory it had all been.

If you didn't feel as if you belonged to anybody then you didn't have any obligations to be anywhere.

Maddie finally found whom she'd been seeking out.

"Hey geeza! Y'think you can beat me today?" she shouted cheekily as she jogged over. An old man was propped up in a lawn chair fumbling with a lighter and ciggie.

"Let me get that" Maddie grabbed the lighter from his hand and lit it for him. She tossed the lighter back at him. It landed in his lap.

"Thank you dearie" he laughed. "Ain't seen you in awhile" he inhaled slowly.

"Settled I am for the moment. But I came here just to see you" she grinned.

"Well aren't I lucky eh?" he smiled back.

Maddie looked Charlie over. He didn't look too bad. She had seen him in worse states. His tattered coat was all right for summer, but he would need a parka to survive the winter. The old man had always had wrinkles around his eyes but they looked deeper. More etched into his face she figured. He coughed a little every time in inhaled. Living on the streets was a young man's game. Charlie was lucky that he hadn't been rumbled summat or worse. Still he had always shared a laugh, or a bread roll when he had one, so he managed to get by.

"Your brother around here somewhere?" he asked.

"No, he's in Devon" she said lowly. "But he's happy. Got people who can take care of him unlike my mum" she finished up trying not to get worked up. It still upset her being separated from him by such a distance. Still it was her mum who created the situation in the first place. She couldn't take care of them and drink. Sophie was right-none of this was her fault. She just had to remember that she had done the best she could. Neither of her parents could say the same.

"By the sea! He'll like that" Charlie winked. He leaned in closer while trying to fish something out of his pack. Maddie looked down and saw what he was getting at. The brown bag gave it away. She stopped his arm before the bottle could be seen.

"Come on! We can share it back behind the shed" he whispered good-naturedly.

"I can't! My girlfriend will kill me" Maddie laughed.

"How will she know anyway? C'mon for old times sake" he cajoled.

"Because she's over there y'geeza and she won't like it" Maddie gestured toward where Sophie was watching them from the soup van.

Maddie waved her over to join them. She sauntered over to where they were sitting. Maddie had to remind herself to breathe. Even in just a jumper and jeans, Sophie Webster was gorgeous.

"Charlie, this is Sophie" Maddie introduced them. He doffed an imaginary cap in her direction.

Maddie watched as the other two exchanged small talk. Of course Sophie was kind and generous to a fault. It was amazing how she could just do that with just about anyone. It used to knock her for six how the brunette could be so genuine. She didn't trust it at first. But now she understood that it was just who she was, as much a part of her as the hair that she liked to run through her fingers.

It was well hot when she ran her hands thru it as she talked like she was doing right now.

"Well I've got to get back but it was good to meet you Charlie" she smiled. She kissed Maddie lightly on the head before she headed back. Maddie sighed.

"That bird is too good for you" Charlie whistled.

"Oi!" she protested and lightly smacked his arm. He protested right back playing up the supposed injury to his arm. They chortled together for a moment.

"You're probably right old man but she's all mine. Now let's see if your gamesmanship is up to scratch" Maddie challenged him. As Charlie got out his scuffed up game board and they set up a game, Maddie considered things.

She had always thought that needing someone meant that you were weak. Holding on to her heart as hard as she could, she ran from anyone who had tried to catch her. She had tried to be without her for two whole days and she couldn't do it. The weight on her chest had been far too great to bare. Without her, she was weaker.

Sophie made her strong.

At night as they sometimes laid with just a sheet draped over them. As the moonlight gleamed off her body, she saw that love was about little things. The way that their hands fit together and how she took her tea. How much she hated her body when she had to squeeze into her jeans. These small boring parts had become their life together. They added up to Sophie Webster and Maddie needed her.

It was difficult for her to tell Sophie these things to her face. She knew that even now her girlfriend fretted that she would up and leg it one day. But once you change, you can't really change back. And looking at Charlie sitting across from her she knew that it was settled. Sophie was home.

"Haha! Didn't see that coming did'ja?" Maddie jeered as she completed a three-piece-jump to finish him off. He conceded defeat and lit another ciggie.

"Victory makes me hungry. Another sandwich?" she offered pointing to the van.

The crowd had cleared up. Sophie seemed to be freed up for the moment. She loped over and reached past Sophie at the paltry supply left over.

"You're not nicking another sandwich" Sophie warned her. Her voice may have been all stern but her eyes told another story.

"Come on" she pleaded. Maddie put on her best sulk face.

"Can't play favorites" she stubbornly replied.

"Y'know that I'm your favorite" she grinned widely.

Shaking her shoulders back and forth while putting her hands behind her back flirtatiously. Maddie could see her starting to cave. Sophie looked around and quickly grabbed two sandwichs. She put them in Maddie's hands.

"All right but that's it" she warned with a smile.

"It's because you love me" Maddie shouted as she headed back to where Charlie was sitting. She tossed a sandwich into his lap.

Although he mocked her as they set up another game, Maddie knew that it was true.

And she wasn't going to let her go.


End file.
